Chapter XVI.

We lose money over Lupin’s advice as to investment, so does
Cummings. Murray Posh engaged to Daisy Mutlar.

February 18. - Carrie has several times recently called attention
to the thinness of my hair at the top of my head, and recommended
me to get it seen to. I was this morning trying to look at it by
the aid of a small hand-glass, when somehow my elbow caught against
the edge of the chest of drawers and knocked the glass out of my
hand and smashed it. Carrie was in an awful way about it, as she
is rather absurdly superstitious. To make matters worse, my large
photograph in the drawing-room fell during the night, and the glass
cracked.

Carrie said: “Mark my words, Charles, some misfortune is about to
happen.”

I said: “Nonsense, dear.”

In the evening Lupin arrived home early, and seemed a little
agitated. I said: “What’s up, my boy?” He hesitated a good deal,
and then said: “You know those Parachikka Chlorates I advised you
to invest 20 pounds in? I replied: “Yes, they are all right, I
trust?” He replied: “Well, no! To the surprise of everybody,
they have utterly collapsed.”

My breath was so completely taken away, I could say nothing.
Carrie looked at me, and said: “What did I tell you?” Lupin,
after a while, said: “However, you are specially fortunate. I
received an early tip, and sold out yours immediately, and was
fortunate to get 2 pounds for them. So you get something after
all.”

I gave a sigh of relief. I said: “I was not so sanguine as to
suppose, as you predicted, that I should get six or eight times the
amount of my investment; still a profit of 2 pounds is a good
percentage for such a short time.” Lupin said, quite irritably:
“You don’t understand. I sold your 20 pounds shares for 2 pounds;
you therefore lose 18 pounds on the transaction, whereby Cummings
and Gowing will lose the whole of theirs.”

February 19. - Lupin, before going to town, said: “I am very sorry
about those Parachikka Chlorates; it would not have happened if the
boss, Job Cleanands, had been in town. Between ourselves, you must
not be surprised if something goes wrong at our office. Job
Cleanands has not been seen the last few days, and it strikes me
several people DO want to see him very particularly.”

In the evening Lupin was just on the point of going out to avoid a
collision with Gowing and Cummings, when the former entered the
room, without knocking, but with his usual trick of saying, “May I
come in?”

He entered, and to the surprise of Lupin and myself, seemed to be
in the very best of spirits. Neither Lupin nor I broached the
subject to him, but he did so of his own accord. He said: “I say,
those Parachikka Chlorates have gone an awful smash! You’re a nice
one, Master Lupin. How much do you lose?” Lupin, to my utter
astonishment, said: “Oh! I had nothing in them. There was some
informality in my application - I forgot to enclose the cheque or
something, and I didn’t get any. The Guv. loses 18 pounds.” I
said: “I quite understood you were in it, or nothing would have
induced me to speculate.” Lupin replied: “Well, it can’t be
helped; you must go double on the next tip.” Before I could reply,
Gowing said: “Well, I lose nothing, fortunately. From what I
heard, I did not quite believe in them, so I persuaded Cummings to
take my 15 pounds worth, as he had more faith in them than I had.”

Lupin burst out laughing, and, in the most unseemly manner, said:
“Alas, poor Cummings. He’ll lose 35 pounds.” At that moment there
was a ring at the bell. Lupin said: “I don’t want to meet
Cummings.” If he had gone out of the door he would have met him in
the passage, so as quickly as possible Lupin opened the parlour
window and got out. Gowing jumped up suddenly, exclaiming: “I
don’t want to see him either!” and, before I could say a word, he
followed Lupin out of the window.

For my own part, I was horrified to think my own son and one of my
most intimate friends should depart from the house like a couple of
interrupted burglars. Poor Cummings was very upset, and of course
was naturally very angry both with Lupin and Gowing. I pressed him
to have a little whisky, and he replied that he had given up
whisky; but would like a little “Unsweetened,” as he was advised it
was the most healthy spirit. I had none in the house, but sent
Sarah round to Lockwood’s for some.

February 20. - The first thing that caught my eye on opening the
STANDARD was - “Great Failure of Stock and Share Dealers! Mr. Job
Cleanands absconded!” I handed it to Carrie, and she replied:
“Oh! perhaps it’s for Lupin’s good. I never did think it a
suitable situation for him.” I thought the whole affair very
shocking.

Lupin came down to breakfast, and seeing he looked painfully
distressed, I said: “We know the news, my dear boy, and feel very
sorry for you.” Lupin said: “How did you know? who told you?” I
handed him the STANDARD. He threw the paper down, and said: “Oh I
don’t care a button for that! I expected that, but I did not
expect this.” He then read a letter from Frank Mutlar, announcing,
in a cool manner, that Daisy Mutlar is to be married next month to
Murray Posh. I exclaimed, “Murray Posh! Is not that the very man
Frank had the impudence to bring here last Tuesday week?” Lupin
said: “Yes; the ’POSH’S-THREE-SHILLING-HATS’ chap.”

We all then ate our breakfast in dead silence.

In fact, I could eat nothing. I was not only too worried, but I
cannot and will not eat cushion of bacon. If I cannot get streaky
bacon, I will do without anything.

When Lupin rose to go I noticed a malicious smile creep over his
face. I asked him what it meant. He replied: “Oh! only a little
consolation - still it is a consolation. I have just remembered
that, by MY advice, Mr. Murray Posh has invested 600 pounds in
Parachikka Chlorates!”